The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
The human anatomy includes many types of tissue that can either voluntarily or involuntarily, perform certain functions. After disease or injury, or due to certain genetic predispositions certain tissues may no longer operate within general anatomical norms. For example, after disease, injury, time, or combinations thereof, the heart muscle may begin to experience certain failures or deficiencies. These failures or deficiencies may be corrected or treated with implantable medical devices (IMDs), such as implantable pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) devices, cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator devices, or combinations thereof.
One of the main portions of the IMD can include one or more leads that are directly connected to tissue to be affected or treated by the IMD. The lead can include a tip or electrode portion that is directly connected to a first portion of the anatomical tissue, such as a muscle bundle, and a lead body that connects to the second main portion, which is the device body or therapeutic driving device. It is generally known that the device body or case portion can be implanted in a selected portion of the anatomical structure, such as in a chest or abdomen, and the lead can be inserted through various venous portions so that the tip portion can be positioned at the selected position near or in the heart muscle.
The IMDs are implantable devices that may require the use of imaging devices for implantation. The imaging devices can include fluoroscopes that expose a patient and a surgeon to ionizing radiation. In addition, the use of the imaging device can require time for acquiring image data and understanding the images from the image data. For example, considerable experience and training may be required for proper interpretation of fluoroscopic images.
The use of various imaging devices can require various additional costs and procedures. For example, fluoroscope devices employ ionizing radiation to acquire images of a patient. Individuals, such as surgeons and technicians that attend the implantation procedure may be constantly or repeatedly exposed to the ionizing radiation and are generally required to wear protective clothing. The protective clothing, however, can be heavy and may strain operators and staff. In addition, the imaging devices, such as fluoroscopes, magnetic resonance imagers, ultrasound systems, can be relatively expensive and require extensive training in the use of the imaging device. Due to cost and training requirements, therefore, certain facilities may forego acquiring the imaging devices thereby reducing the number of facilities able to perform certain procedures.